The Restorative Effects of Pleasant Urban Areas in the Netherlands: the Role of Sound Quality
Invited paper
RIVM
Tuesday 2 june, 2015, 10:00 - 10:20
0.4 Brussels (189)
Abstract:
The association between noise and health has seldom been placed in a broader
context of acoustical and environmental quality. The focus of the few studies
into this topic has primarily been on the health benefits of natural
recreational areas outside the urban environment. Hardly any research has been
carried out into the characteristics of urban areas with good sound quality
and its assumed positive impact on health and well-being.
This paper investigates the restorative effects of pleasant urban areas by
analysing its relation with perceived and modelled sound quality. Also
associations with other determinants such as, physical features other than
sound (e.g. amount of green, availability of pleasant colours and odours), use
of the area and personal factors (e.g. health status) were investigated. To
this end, data from a questionnaire survey, held among 3,972 people living in
31 neighbourhoods in three Dutch cities, supplemented with neighbourhood
characteristics from systematic audits and several databases, will be used.
The findings may increase the knowledge of health-enhancing environments.